On 3 Feb, 14:45, "pg123" wrote:

"Martin Petrov" wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...ter-card-trans...

Dearie me, what a grade A plank.

Reduces dwell times for buses (massively) and reduces the opportunity
for drivers to pocket cash, stops you needing to fumble for change at
the ticket machine, and is just generally A GOOD IDEA.

But no, you think you're being watched by MI5. (like they've nothing
better to do.)

Yes I have an Oyster but there are times when I have to seriously consider
whether it would be better to buy a daily travel card when I need it.

You do that then - I'll stick with using Oyster Pay-as-you-go when I'm
not using the suburban rail network thanks, as I may well not make
enough journeys during the day to reach a daily cap - if I bought a
Day Travelcard (even setting aside the fact that they are 50p more
that the Oyster daily cap) then I might well be paying more than I
need to.


It's
so easy to forget to touch in and out, particularly when you are waved
through by station staff because the machine is not working properly or
because there is congestion.

I rarely see an Oyster reader not working - the times I have seen this
it's been one on automatic gates and there has been a sign on the
reader stating it is out of order (it seems rather more common for the
paper ticket bit to be broken). I've seen it a bit more often on buses
but then it doesn't matter, not to the passenger at least, as you get
a free ride. I don't think I've ever seen a standalone Oyster reader
(i.e. one not on a gate) that isn't working.

Could you elaborate on where you've been waved through "waved through
by station staff because the machine is not working properly"? Did you
check if the Oyster reader on the gates was active? It almost
certainly would have been.

When there is congestion then it's wise for the gates to be opened,
but again the Oyster readers stay active. I go quite often to watch
Arsenal games and pass through Highbury & Islington station en route,
and often after a match the gates are left open but Oyster-using
passengers are advised (regularly by the staff) to touch-in on the
reader on the gate.


I've now been told that they won't refund any
more to my card unless machines are not working. Then you have to phone the
oyster helpline, usually more than once, and then they don't refund the
correct amount. There are also lines that are not part of the oyster network
even though they serve stations that are. So you find yourself touching in
and there is nowhere to touch out at the other end.

That's not TfL's fault though - they and their master the Mayor (and
indeed the previous Mayor) want all rail lines in London to accept
Oyster PAYG, but progress on this has been slow because the train
companies have been very awkward.

You should check whether the rail route you want to use accepts Oyster
PAYG before you travel. There's a page on the TfL website that
outlines where it is valid and there's a map that illustrates this too
- the page is he
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/oysteronline/5823.aspx


And it seems quite a good idea to be able to enter by either door
on a bus. But you can only do that on some buses.

Long single decker bendy bus with an articulated bit in the middle -
any door. All other types of bus - front door only (apart from the
heritage Routemasters). Really simple.

I think the new double-deckers on the Red Arrow routes in central
London (weekday only routes that link termini stations) might allow
boarding via all doors. If so I presume this will be clearly indicated
and it will only apply to a minuscule subset of buses.


The system needs streamlining. It's too much to expect
someone has to learn a different set of rules for different stations, lines
and modes of transport.

No it's not, but if it's too much for you then buy a Day Travelcard.
If you wanted it streamlined so you didn't need to touch-out after
completing a journey, that would entail a flat-fare scheme across
London. That's unlikely enough as it is on the Underground network,
and it's never going to be the case on the suburban rail network too.

You touch in and out on trains but not on buses.

Too much to expect someone to learn eh? Really?

By the way, if you try and touch-in (or out) a second time on the bus
you'll just get an error beep, you won't be charged a second fare.
Having a system whereby you touch out on buses would lead to a myriad
of complications - it does happen in some places, but I don't think
it'd work at all well here.


What do I do if I'm on the platform of a station without barriers and can't
remember if I touched in? And when I have to abort a journey due to "severe
delays", there is fat chance of getting my money back.

No there isn't - this is routinely done by Oyster customer services.


The Oyster has disadvantages as well as advantages.

Doesn't mean it's rubbish. Of course it's going to be different from
paper tickets - but that's in the nature of smartcard ticketing.

In message
, at
07:42:55 on Tue, 3 Feb 2009, Mizter T remarked:
Could you elaborate on where you've been waved through "waved through
by station staff because the machine is not working properly"? Did you
check if the Oyster reader on the gates was active? It almost
certainly would have been.

It happened to me at Heathrow in October, but I did insist on finding a
pad, which was taped off at the time.

Later it transpired they were doing a "test" to see what happened. Shame
about the people who potentially got a surcharge.
--
Roland Perry